Rod, King of the Pridelands
by Rhonda Petrie
Summary: Parody of Lion King. Rod, son of Doug and Julie Williams, must learn to find his place in the Great Circle Of Life while trying to stop the evil Stefano DiMera from trying to take over the throne.
1. A New King Is Born

Rod, King Of The Pridelands

Rhonda Petrie

March 28th, 2011

**Author's Note: Hello, Rhonda Petrie here! Sorry if I had not uploaded anything for the longest time; I've been working on a long story on DeviantArt and I got caught up with life, school, etc., and I also got a new account on DeviantArt. My daddy just came home from the hospital because of some serious condition and my mom is on a trip to California; since there is no school on Monday, hopefully I'll have time to upload these chapters.**

**Basically this is an idea I've had for a while but the problem was I was unable to find some time to write and since I was so busy with my other stories, I put this on on the side for months. It wasn't just until the other day that I mentioned this idea to Noogai and he suggested some of his characters for me to play in some of the roles here in this story; I decided I might as well write this since I haven't written anything in a long time and well... this story turned out really good and not what I quite expected.**

**This story is not really extreme like "Team Legacy Meets The Rod Squad" in terms of language and content and it is relatively mild. I also thought up of at least two more versions with Doug as Simba and Rhonda as Simba as well. I don't know if and when I'll be able to make a parody of the Lion King 2 sequel but hopefully I might because I've been dying to write one for a while too. I just need to get the cast cleared up.**

**So, hopefully you enjoy this and please read and review!  
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**Disclaimer: Jack/Experiment, Sasha, Rolf/Experiment 630, Buck/Experiment 628, Rodney, Buckley, Jackson and Rodrigo Adrian Damiani are the property of Noogai and Days Of Our Lives is the property of NBC.**

Chapter 1 – A New King Is Born

It was a new day in the Pridelands as the sun was rising up with orange, yellow and reddish hues radiating from the sky and the rays were showering over much of the kingdom as all of the animals, from the biggest elephant, to the smallest ant, were heading towards the prominent promontory for a most special celebration, for today, King Doug and Queen Julie were about to present a new heir to the Pridelands.

It was then that just as the animals were reaching Pride Rock and the sunlight was reflecting off the exterior of the humongous, distinct rock, a dark coffee black hornbill named Jack was gliding into the palace and then he landed inside the cave as he stood before Doug and Julie while bowing before them.

Doug was a gigantic, muscular and strong-built elderly lion who was getting on in years and Julie was a golden yellow lioness with a crème colored underbelly who was also approaching the end of her childbearing years; the two of them have spent many years trying to conceive an heir, but with little success since the pregnancies would always end in a miscarriage; therefore, it was a great joy to them when Julie was able to finally get pregnant and actually carry that child to term.

To make matters even more complicated, they were also married relatively late in life since they have spent much of their years mated with other lions, which ended in utter disaster.

However, today was a joyous day, and after so many years filled with heartbreak, hopelessness and despair, they were finally blessed with a little cub of their own, who they called Rod.

Jack then went over to the royal couple as he peered at the newborn prince cradled in Julie's arms and as she was licking him tenderly, the cub then rolled over onto his back while purring softly and gazed up at him with blank, distant eyes. Jack then let out a horrific scream as he stepped back in terror and Doug and Julie exchanged confused and worried glances before turning to their majordomo. "What's wrong, Jack?" Julie asked him with a puzzled face as Jack was shaking with trepidation.

"Your cub is absolutely hideous! He is by far the scrawniest and skinniest cub I've ever seen!" Jack exclaimed in an appalled and stricken voice as the couple bristled at Jack's tactless and insulting comment.

"Now, Jack, that's not very nice; he is our son after all and your future king," she chided and reproached him sternly while stroking the little cub's back protectively yet soothingly as to heal him of the emotional hurt he has just caused.

"Therefore you should act more courteous and respectful towards him and to us; you may go," Doug added in a stern yet strong voice as Jack scowled furiously while cursing in Spanish and stormed off.

It was then that a female mandrill with dark pink fur and black markings named Sasha came strolling over to the couple and hugged them briefly before focusing her attention on the newborn cub. She then held her staff containing fruits over him as Rod became fascinated by them and started swatting at them playfully, to the delight of the monarchs.

Then Sasha took one of the fruits and broke it apart before dapping one of her fingers into the reddish-brown juice and smeared it on Rod to anoint him; then she grabbed some fistful of sand with her hand and sprayed it all over his head, causing him to sneeze.

She then grabbed him by the underarms and carried him over her shoulder while nodding respectfully to the couple and headed out of the cave.

She then stepped out onto the promontory as she slowly made her way towards the huge throng of animals with Rod fearfully peering towards the ground with panic-stricken eyes as he was dreading what was to happen next.

It was then that Sasha stopped at the very edge of the cliff face and she suddenly thrust Rod up in the sky as the animals then exploded into a thunderous yet jubilant uproar; the elephants were trumpeting cheerfully with their horns as the monkeys were scampering and tumbling onto the ground in a restless chatter; the rhinos were bowing down gracefully before the future king and the giraffes were baying while kicking up the dirt with their feet. Rod was watching this with an intrigued and keen eye as he was astounded and amazed by this revelry that was made just for him. _Is this for me? I'm the future king?_ He thought to himself wondrously as he marveled at his surroundings.

Finally all of the animals bowed down before him as all of the birds ranging from red to yellow to blue and even green soon flooded the skies while gliding and soaring in a slow, rotating circle before turning around to float in a straight line as if they were glowing auroras.

It was then that the faces of Alice and Tom Horton appeared in the heavens and shined down numerous rays of light down on their newly born grandson as they beamed at him proudly. The animals then continued to cheer and revel enthusiastically as they celebrated the arrival of the new heir to the Pridelands and were very hopefully for the future.

However, there was only one resident who was not so pleased with the new arrival to the lands; his name was Stefano, and he was a dark black onyx lion with a slight, slender yet robust body, a long, haggard, drawn face and a red scar cutting across his right eye. He growled irascibly as he took a right turn into the cave just adjacent to the main one and paddled over to a tiny white mouse skittering across the floor; as it was squeaking and sniffling around with its whiskers twitching, Stefano then pounced on it and caught it with its tail stuck in-between his toes as he was dangling around with it while toying with it.

"Life's not fair, is it? And as for you, you shall never see the light of day again. Toodoos," Stefano growled in a deep, husky voice as his dark red eyes narrowed sinisterly at the innocent, helpless creature and he opened his mouth to eat it when he was interrupted by a sharp voice.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food, arse?" Jack huffed arrogantly as he fluttered into the room and Stefano peered over his shoulder stiffly while glaring at him ferociously. "What do you want?"

"I would like to inform you that Your Majesty will certainly not be pleased with your absence during the presentation ceremony," Jack snapped angrily at the sullen grown lion while pecking at the floor absentmindedly. "And why should I care?" Stefano growled fiercely as he swallowed the mouse whole while licking his lips. "Because I'M the majordomo and the advisor to the king; he will be very angry with you when he sees you," Jack countered back in a rather pompous and arrogant voice while gesturing to himself with his wing.

"Ohhh, I quiver with fear," Stefano hissed in an ominous, creepy and malicious voice as his lips curled back into a nasty snarl and he started to advance towards Jack as the young hornbill backed down in terror.

"Now, now, Stefano, let's not get hasty here…" he stammered fretfully as he saw that Stefano was about to attack him judging by the maniacal gleam in his eyes and he immediately took off as Stefano twisted around and lunged at him with a roar as he let out a terrible scream; in a matter of minutes, he was caught right in his jaws and his tail feather was sticking out of his mouth as Stefano landed on the ground breathing heavily just as Doug came walking into the cave with a stern expression on his face.

"Put him down, Stefano," Doug issued a firm order as Jack's beak popped out of Stefano's mouth just as he said it. "Impeccable timing, Your Majesty," he interjected as Stefano spat him out and Jack tumbled onto the floor while grimacing at the thick saliva dripping from his feathers.

"My, my, aren't we in a charming mood this morning?" Stefano chuckled slyly as he slunk away from Doug while heading to the end of the cave. "Julie and I noticed that you were absent from Rod's presentation ceremony," Doug retorted sternly to Stefano as he snorted.

"Indeed; I was the one who was supposed to be king. I was the one who was standing to take the throne until that little hairball was born," the elderly lion scoffed disdainfully while avoiding direct eye contact with his younger brother. "That 'hairball' is my son and your future king," Doug shot back in a firm and somber tone as Stefano turned to glare at him. "Indeed; well, you better watch your back and stay out of my way," he snapped at him as he was about to walk away from him.

"Don't turn your back on me, Stefano!" Doug hissed with a fierce snarl as Stefano barely looked at him and continued on his way.

Now furious with rage, Doug then bounded rapidly after him with a loud, resounding roar as he jumped in front of the older lion and glared at him determinedly yet indignantly. "Don't you dare turn your back on me!" he roared indignantly as Stefano narrowed his eyes at him with a frown.

"Temper, temper; you really should watch your blood pressure, Your Majesty. I may be the brains of this family but when it comes to brute strength…" Stefano growled back at him as he walked past him in a slinking motion and as he was stepping down, he added, "I must be the weak link in the gene pool." And with that, he departed from the cave.

"That lion never learns," Jack snorted as he perched himself on Doug's right shoulder as he exhaled deeply. "I suppose so; I just don't know why he is so stubborn," Doug muttered to himself while shaking his head as they departed from the cave. "Heh, maybe we should throw him into the alligator pit or something; that would teach him a lesson once and for all!" Jack chuckled while proposing a suggestion to the king, which made him laugh. "Jack!"


	2. Rod's Hunting Lesson

Chapter 2 – Rod's Hunting Lesson

It was 6 months later, and the sun was about to dawn onto the world as a small, diminutive and scruffy-looking golden yellow lion cub named Rod came scampering out into the cave to watch the sun rise for a few moments.

He had big, flat, oversized ears with dark, bold tips, with slightly long and large hair tufts, a small, dark black nose with dark eye patches around his eyes, and he had a crème colored underbelly muzzle like his mother.

He also had an enormous dark tail tuft with a square, long and shapely face and a thin scar cutting across his right eye from a horrific accident when he was only two months old. The local female shaman Sasha was able to heal most of his wounds, but she was unable to get rid of that scar, since it was permanent.

It did bother Rod a lot somewhat since it made him feel ugly and self-conscious, but other lion cubs in the pride thought it looked cool and were amazed by his confident and bold personality and even impressed some ladies. Still, Rod was not entirely convinced and often kept to himself, with the exception of a few close friends.

Rod's tail wagged excitedly as he raced into the cave with enthusiasm surging through his veins, since today was a special day, where his own father was going to take him out to Pride Rock to show him the kingdom that he was going to rule someday.

He then shoved through a huge pile of lionesses that were still trying to catch some wink of sleep before the dawn broke and he excused himself while trying to weave through the mess of bodies as some of the lionesses were grumbling sorely at the young prince while in their slumber.

Finally he reached his parents, who were lying asleep in the flat rock situated near a cluster of boulders as he bolted for them and jumped on top of his father as he was nudging him awake.

"Dad, dad, come on; wake up! Come on, daddy!" Rod pleaded as he kept on nudging him and tugging on his ear and Doug grumbled as his eyes creaked open and he was stirred awake. "Your son's awake, Doug," Julie muttered in her sleep. "Before the sun rises, he is your son," Doug retorted back as Rod bashed into his side, startling him awake and knocking the wind out of him. Doug then started coughing with a fit of laughs as he slowly rose to his feet. "Okay, son, I'm up," he chuckled as he exited the cave and Rod followed him as Julie also got up to her feet and went out of the cave as well.

It was then they were at the doorway and Julie nudged Rod along as he rubbed against her legs and purred while racing ahead of his dad, who was already heading to Pride Rock.

It was then that they got there just when the sun was glowing the brightest at daybreak and Rod was amazed and impressed by the magnificent sight as the golden orange rays were pouring down all over the area and were illuminating in his eyes with its utter brilliance; the horizon ahead was filled with fresh green lands and the antelope, giraffes, gazelles, and zebras were busy grazing on the grass.

"Wow…" Rod gasped in awe as he could hardly believe what was out in front of him. "So all of this, everything, is mine?" "Yes it is, Rod, and I might not be around much longer, because one day, my time as ruler will set with the sun and rise with you as the new king," Doug answered patiently as they continued to gaze out at the morning sun. "Yeah," Rod whispered in marvel as he observantly scanned the horizon before him but then noticed a dark, grey and ominous figure beyond his range of vision. "But what's that?"

"Oh, that?" Doug cocked his gaze over to the shadowy figure as he chuckled good-naturedly. "That's just the Shadowlands, beyond our borders; you must never go there, Rod. You don't know what may lie there." "Okay, Dad," Rod smiled as the two stepped down from Pride Rock and headed out into the grass to do the patrols.

"…So you see, Rod, when we die, our bodies become grass, and the antelopes eat the grass," Doug continued to explain to Rod as they were walking through the herd of antelopes and zebras feasting on the plants. "Yeah, but don't we eat the antelope?" Rod inquired his dad quizzically as they went on strolling. "Yes we do, but it's all a big part of the Circle of Life, and it's something to understand," Doug replied with a nod and it was then that Jack suddenly swooped down and landed in front of the king and his son and he was writing down on his trademark notepad before ripping off the page and handing it to Doug. "Morning report," he announced as Doug sat down to read the strange piece of paper as Jack cleared his throat to speak. "The zebras are arguing with the antelope, and the elephants are fighting with the rhinos over which water hole they can use and…"

Rod tuned out yet another one of Jack's morning reports as usual and Doug chuckled quietly as he ushered Rod to come with him as they walked away just a few feet away while out of earshot from Jack as he kept on blabbing and blabbing and blabbing on with his report and Rod peered closely at Jack while turning his head to Doug.

"So what do you think I should do, Dad?" he asked his father and he had him crouch down really low as he concealed himself completely in the grass with Doug holding him down until the right morning. "Stay low to the ground," he whispered to him as Rod smirked cockily as he knew what he was about to do.

"And the dingos are over there fighting with the cheetahs, and the jaguars are fighting with the tigers, and some Tasmanian devil last week gave birth to her pups, which was so humiliating and disgusting because she had to eat almost all of them save three and…" Jack barely had time to finish speaking as he saw a blur of golden yellow fur fly right at him as he let out a blood-curling scream and he was tackled down right onto the floor as he found himself lying on his back with Rod on top of him while wearing a satisfied, triumphant smirk on his face.

Doug then burst out into a hearty fit of laughter as Rod got off Jack and trotted over to him proudly as he was now being praised by his father. "That's very good, son," Doug congratulated Rod as Digger suddenly popped out of the ground as Jack rubbed his head indignantly and was groaning from the sudden hit he had to take.

"Cousin, I think I may have spotted some hyenas in the Pridelands," he whispered to the disgruntled black hornbill as Jack suddenly sat up in pure terror and he let out an ear-splitting screech as Digger disappeared back into the ground.

"Hyenas! In the Pridelands! Oh, Miguelito, this is the worst news!" Jack bawled hysterically as Doug suddenly bolted into action and Rod tried to go after his dad. "Dad, can I go with you?" the young lion cub pleaded as Doug stopped and peered at him before he shook his head. "No, son," was all he said before he took off again and Rod grumbled under his breath as he trudged back home with a sulky gait, with Jack accompanying him.

"I never get to go anywhere," he pouted as Jack placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically as he then took off while staying right by him. "Now, don't worry, Rod; when you grow up to be king, those mangy mutts won't know what hit them because you'll be chasing them all the way from the Pridelands all the way to the hot, desert savanna somewhere in the Nile River…"


	3. A Chat With Uncle Stefano

Chapter 3 – A Chat With Uncle Stefano

Meanwhile, sheltered under the old alcove somewhere in the palace grounds, Stefano was pacing around with a sullen and dark expression with his tail whisking on the floor as he kicked a skull head across the floor and was lost in his thoughts of memories gone by when his ears pricked at the sound of his nephew's voice.

"Hey, Uncle Stefano! Guess what!" Rod cried as he bounded excitedly into the alcove just to see his favorite uncle as Stefano turned to glare at him with a sneer. "I really despise guessing games," he snarled with a deep growl as he turned around to ignore him. "I'm gonna be king of Pride Rock!" Rod cheered as he scampered over to the edge to look out at the full view of Stefano's home. "Oh goodie…" Stefano muttered under his breath with a fierce snort as Rod added, "And I'm gonna rule it all! Heh, heh, heh!"

"Yes, please forgive me if I'm not leaping for joy; bad back you know," Stefano snapped tersely as he turned away from his nephew before he dropped onto his left side, prompting a worried Rod to run over and climb onto him.

"Hey, Stefano, when I'm king, what's that gonna make you?" Rod asked Stefano curiously as he snorted from his throat with a bitter scoff. "I'm going to be a monkey's uncle," he replied as Rod laughed at his wry answer while tumbling down to look at him. "You're so weird, Uncle Stefano," he giggled as Stefano lifted up his head to peer at him straight in the eye with a sly yet beguiling smile. "You have no idea, child," he smirked as he got up and went up to walk around the premises with Rod trailing after him.

"So, your father showed you everything, didn't he?" Stefano probed with some questions as he continued to walk with his nephew, who was still bounding and skipping around from still lingering excitement from the sights his father just showed him. "Everything, Uncle," was his answer as they sat down near the edge. "He didn't show you what was beyond those borders now, did he?" Stefano questioned him further as Rod shook his head while glancing downward on his haunches. "No, Uncle; he said I couldn't go there," he replied sadly.

"Really now? Well he's right, you know; you really shouldn't go there for only the bravest lions can go there," Stefano peered at him curiously while turning his attention to the Shadowlands. "Well, I'm brave; why can't I go there?" Rod insisted as he suddenly stood up with his shoulders straight and his ears flattened as he gazed boldly at his uncle. "No, my dear Rodrigo, you can't really…" Stefano shook his head no while Rod frowned in disappointment. "Why not, Uncle? Why can't I go there?" he insisted stubbornly.

"Rodrigo, Rodrigo, Rodrigo, you really mustn't go there; if you do and if you get hurt, I would never forgive myself since you're my dearest nephew," Stefano crooned softly yet gently as he laid his paw on Rod's tiny head and patted it.

"I'm your only nephew," Rod laughed as Stefano smiled warmly with an ever knowing gleam lingering in his eyes.

"All the more reason to protect you; wouldn't want you to go into the Elephant Graveyard now, do we?" he purred coyly as his paws flew to his mouth and he cried, "Oops!"

"An elephant what? Whoa!" Rod gasped in surprise as he was quickly excited by the idea of going in there. "Oh dear, I must have said too much," Stefano sighed dramatically while placing his paw on his face while looking at his claws stoically. "Well, might as well get going before I say anymore to encourage that wild imagination of yours…"

He then pulled Rod into his arms and hugged him close while flashing a wide, coy yet charming grin while adding, "Just promise me one thing; don't ever go into that dreadful place, all right?" Rod then thought for a minute before answering, "No problem."

"That's a good lad," Stefano answered with a satisfied smile as he shoved Rod ahead of him and sent him off running. "Now run along now." Rod then turned to gaze up at him one more time as Stefano peered at him with a demure smile before adding one more thing. "And remember: it's our little secret."

And with that, Rod bolted out of the cave and headed out to tell his best friend what he had just learned from his uncle, while the elderly black lion watched from the shadows with a cunning, evil eye as his eyes glowed in the dark, watching and anticipating the lion cub's next move.


	4. Ditching The Dodo

Chapter 4 – Ditching the Dodo

Meanwhile, Rod raced out into the outcropping area where two grown lionesses were busy chatting with one of them bathing her daughter, who was around the same age as Rod. This lioness was golden brown with dark brown eyes and was named Marlena, and the female cub cradled in her arms was a dark mahogany with light brown hazel eyes and her name was none other than Lee; Lee was Rod's best friend and they have been very close from the time they were two weeks old.

They would do everything together, from playing in the waterhole to annoying Jack whenever he was stuck performing babysitting duties by watching them. Even though they would often fight and argue over trivial things, they still remained good friends and were completely inseparable, so inseparable that as a matter of fact, Marlena, Doug and Julie made arrangements for Rod and Lee to become betrothed when they were only a month old. Of course, they were unaware of this, so for now it was kept under wraps.

Rod then approached the young headstrong and fiery lioness as she was being cleaned by Marlena and Rod leaned over to her to whisper to her. "Hey, Lee; guess what? I got a really great place to show you," he hissed quietly as Lee snorted at her friend.

"Rod, I'm in the middle of a bath right now, so don't bother me," she snapped testily as she was now being licked in the head.

"And now it's time for yours," Julie interrupted as she suddenly snatched Rod by the head and she sat him down in her cradle while starting to lick him. "Mom!" Rod whined as Julie continued to wipe him all over his head and he squirmed and writhed uncontrollably in an attempt to get away. "Mom! You're messing with my mane!" he griped irritably as Julie's tongue pulled up his little hair tufts, causing it to become slightly messy.

Rod then groaned as he jumped out of her arms while brushing his hair tufts back into place while glaring at her. "Okay, okay, can we go now?" he snapped at her. "So where are we going? It better not be anyplace dumb," Lee growled at her friend as she continued taking her bath. "No, it's really cool," Rod grinned satisfactorily while wagging his tail.

"So where is this really cool place, Rod?" Julie asked him as Rod suddenly froze and tried to think for a few minutes before whipping around to face her while answering, "A waterhole." "A waterhole? Are you mad, Rod? What exactly is so great about a damn waterhole?" Lee hissed at Rod angrily as Rod turned to lean towards her face while whispering in a harsh voice with gritted teeth, "I'll show you when we get there."

"Ohhh…" Lee replied when her stern glare softened dramatically at the meaning of Rod's words and she then turned to her mother. "Mama, can I go with Rod, please?" Lee begged her as Marlena's eyebrows knitted considerably and she turned to Julie. "What do you think, Julie?" she asked her old friend as she put her paw under her chin and considered it with the cubs turning to face her. "Well…"

"_Pleeeease?_" Lee and Rod begged with Lee flashing her charming, graceful smile and Rod put on his classic puppy dog face. "All right, if it's all right with me," Julie acquiesced as the cubs then exploded into cheers as they were bouncing around with joy, that is, until Julie mentioned something else. "As long as Jack goes with you." "Oh no, not Jack!" Rod groaned with a face-palm as he exchanged consternated glances with Lee.

Sometime later, they were heading towards the waterhole with Jack leading them as he was blabbing one way or another about yet one of his boring scientific experiments. "So how do we ditch the dodo?" Lee asked Rod as they were walking together in the savanna. "That's easy; I got a big plan that will get him off our backs," Rod whispered back as Lee was quickly excited by what he just told her. "Wow!" she cried as Rod shushed her. "Just stay quiet and leave it up to me," he hissed as the cubs were now whispering among themselves and Jack happened to overhead and he swooped down to meet with them.

"Ah, so I see that there is young love blossoming in the hot savanna; your parents would be so thrilled with this latest development, since it also appears that you two are betrothed," Jack observed keenly as he landed in front of the lion cubs and turned to face them. "Be-what?" Rod cocked his head with a puzzled and confused expression as Lee looked at him worriedly.

"Betrothed. Intended… ah, I don't know what the other word is, but one day you two are going to be married," Jack mused for a moment as he beamed at them happily, earning responses of both disgust, dismay and repulsion.

"Ewww! I can't marry her! She's my friend!" Rod shuddered and grimaced while peering at Lee quizzically. "Yeah, it would be just too weird," she concurred with him with a nervous laugh.

"Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, young ones, but it is going to happen one way or another and that's the way it is," Jack scoffed while jotting down on his notepad. "Not the way I see it," Rod grinned at him with a devious smirk.

"Well then, Master Rod, until you become king, there is nothing you can do about it," Jack snorted at him disdainfully as Lee glanced at him curiously. "Well, he is the future king after all," she commented as Rod grew bold and stepped up to Jack. "Yeah, so you gotta do what I say," he smirked as he tapped Jack hard on the chest.

"Not with an attitude like that, young man; you would make a rotten king indeed," Jack huffed at Rod arrogantly as Rod turned to look at him with an even wider, more devious smirk. "We'll see about that," he said as he then jumped onto a rock and began to sing.

_I'm going to be a mighty king, so enemies beware!_

Jack then hopped onto a tree branch while picking off one of Rod's tiny hair tufts.

_I've never seen one with quite so little hair._

Rod dances around with his entire head covered in dark brown leaves as he shakes it wildly and then climbs up to another vine as he takes a deep breath and lets out a roar, sending Jack flying into a bush.

_I'm going to be the main event that no king was before; I'm brushing up on looking down; I'm working on my roar!_

Jack mutters to himself while rubbing on his sore beak, "Well that was rather an uninspiring thing."

_Well I can't just wait to being king!_

The scene then cuts to Lee and Rod standing on either side of a puddle as Jack stands between them with a detestable frown on his face.

_No one saying do this._

Rod leans close to Jack with a grin.

_No one saying be there._

Lee smirks at Jack demurely.

_No one saying stop this._

Rod then makes a funny face while Lee squishes her face in a silly manner and then they race off while splashing Jack with a huge wave.

_No one saying see here!_

"Now, see here!" Jack shouts as he sees the young cubs run off laughing.

Lee and Rod are dashing across the water as Jack tries to catch up with them as he is dragged underwater by Ding Lao riding on water skis as he shouts, "Watch where ya going, you fool! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

_Free to run around all day!_

Rod and Lee are also riding on ostriches as Jack is trying to catch up with them while flying as fast as he can.

_Free to do it all my way!_

Rod and Lee then walk through the aisle of zebras as Jack shows up at the edge and they close up in his face. It is then that a huge parade of alien experiments, consisting of Stitch and his cousins and also all of the experiments belonging to Team Legacy, start to follow around the two lion cubs.

_Everybody look left!_

Rod and the experiments look left.

_Everybody look right!_

Everyone looks to the right.

_Everywhere you look around, I'm staying in the spotlight!_

The cousins look down as Rod is displayed in a huge spotlight provided by an experiment named Spotlight as Jack emerges out of the crowd of experiments.

_Not yet!_

_Let every creature go for broke and sing!_

_Let's hear it in the pride and on the wing._

_It's gonna be King Rod's finest fling!_

All of the alien experiments start to form a pyramid as everyone ranging from the 000 series to the 600 series and beyond starts to ascend up the formation, with Stitch, Angel, Leroy and 627 fanning with pink palm tree leaves just as Rod and Lee materialize on the very top.

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

_Oh, I just can't wait…_

Jack then storms into the pyramid of animals as the enormous weight causes it to collapse completely on its seams as everyone falls towards the ground and they all land right on top of Jack, crushing him.

_To be king!_

The cousins are now groaning and whining amongst themselves while cursing in tantalog as Jack soon finds himself trapped under the huge pile of experiments. "Hello? Rod? Lee? Anyone? Help?"


	5. The Elephant Graveyard

Chapter 5 – The Elephant Graveyard

Rod and Lee were now racing across the sparse lands filled with a small amount of trees and plants as they were laughing and giggling in mirth at how they managed to outsmart Jack. "Wow, I cannot believe we did that!" Lee chuckled as she and Rod stopped to take a breath. "Yeah, we certainly did," Rod laughed while panting hard for breath. "We seriously ditched the dodo that time, darling," Lee retorted with a coy smirk.

"Yep; I'm… a genius," Rod puffed his chest out while strutting flamboyantly, making Lee rather annoyed. "Hey, genius, it was my idea, you know," she snapped briskly. "Yeah, but I pulled it off," Rod shot back while pointing at himself with his right paw cockily.

"With me!" Lee insisted as she stood up to her feet and confronted him with her fur bristling slightly. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that, darling," Rod shot back defiantly as Lee dove for him with a snarl and the two cubs started wrestling with each other as they rolled into a tumble for a few minutes when Lee was pinned flat on her back with Rod grinning at her smugly.

"Hey, no fair, Rod!" Lee pouted with a gusty sigh as she got up to her feet while shaking her fur wildly. "I'm the prince, Lee and I'm stronger than you," Rod insisted while continuing to circle around her arrogantly and the young mahogany lioness cub seethed with rage.

"That's not true and you know it! Lionesses are stronger than lions! They are the ones that do all of the hunting for the pride and they take care of the cubs!" Lee fired back indignantly at her friend as Rod glared darkly at her with a cruel smile. "And the king gets to mate with whoever he wants; I don't have to be faithful to you," he chuckled demurely as Lee scowled while walking away from him in anger. "You're an asshole and you are completely insufferable!" she snarled back as she was about to storm off.

"Lee, wait!" Rod pleaded as he caught up with her while rubbing his head against her body apologetically, catching her off guard. "I'm sorry; I was just playing with you, understand? I would never forgive myself if you were to never speak to me ever again; you're my best friend and I love you."

Lee smiled as she rubbed him back while purring and she bumped noses with him. "It's all right, Rod; why don't we play now?" she accepted his apology as Rod's smirk widened and he tackled her onto the ground as they began to tumble over each other again while giggling; this time, Lee was able to pin Rod onto his back.

"Hey, let me up!" Rod insisted as Lee began to walk away with a triumphant smirk on her face and then he charged right at her as he leaped at her again before they rolled into yet another tumble; they were rolling over each other as they were infected by a strong fit of giggles and they plummeted down into a large pit where Lee finally landed on Rod and pinned him down on his back once more. "Pinned ya again," she declared as the cubs heard a green geyser go off and they whipped their heads around to see what the sound was coming from.

The moment they did so, they got off each other as they were astounded and stunned with disbelief as they saw hundreds of green geysers go off in large shoots and they began to venture deeper into the elephant graveyard, which occasionally contained large clusters of elephant skeletons that had been lying about for several months. Harsh, raspy screeches of vultures can sometimes be heard from a distance as Lee shivered in anxiety and nervousness as she stayed close to Rod.

"I don't like this Rod; we shouldn't be here," the young lioness cub whimpered as Rod snuggled with her to assure her. "Don't worry; Rodie's going to protect you," he assured her gently as he headed off towards a particularly large elephant skeleton and they soon reached a long and thick tusk as they came across an entire field of bones. "Wow…"

"Isn't this great?" Rod smiled at Lee as Lee grinned at him excitedly while giggling slightly. "Yeah, it's really creepy," she answered as they walked away from the tusk and were heading off.

"You know, they say that elephants come here to die; that's why they call it the elephant graveyard," Lee informed Rod as they kept on walking. "Says who?" Rod scoffed as he climbed onto an elephant skeleton. "Says my mama," was Lee's answer as Rod broke out into laughter.

"Your mama is full of crap," he taunted her snidely as Lee let out a low growl from her throat while approaching Rod menacingly. "My mama's not full of crap! I'm telling her on you!" she snapped angrily as Rod just kept on laughing and mocking her mercilessly.

It was then that Jack suddenly flew up in Rod's face and Rod let out a scream as he tumbled onto his back and scrambled up to Lee while huddling close to her. "Jack? How did you find us?" Rod gasped in surprise as his eyes were widened in fear.

"Apparently you brats were loud enough for the entire elephant graveyard to hear and I'm afraid it's time to go home," Jack insisted snappishly as he was about to usher Rod and Lee straight home. "Buzz off, dodo; I'm not afraid of you," Rod growled at Jack as he stormed off.

"Hey! I wouldn't go off if I were you; the place gives me the creeps," Jack shouted after Rod as he shuddered in trepidation. "Ha! Danger? I walk on the wild side, tubby; I laugh in the face of danger. Mu-hu-ha!" Rod taunted Jack crudely as he approached the large elephant skeleton and started laughing cockily.

Suddenly, he heard the sounds of hyenas cackling from out of nowhere and he bolted straight for his friends while gasping in terror and he cowered closer to Lee and Jack as three hyenas emerged out of the darkness while advancing towards them with gleaming, maniacal, keen eyes and tongues lolling out of their mouths. They are Rodney, Buckley and Jackson.

"Well, well, well; what do we have here?" Rodney cackled as he turned to Buckley. "I don't know; what do you think, Jackson?" Buckley asked Jackson while turning to him and Jackson just laughed maniacally.

"You know what I was thinking? A trio of trespassers!" Buckley mused to his friends as he turned his sharp and merciless glare onto the three helpless heroes.

"Well, you see, there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about; we were just on our way out," Jack stammered nervously as the hyenas just cackled hysterically as Rodney glared at him suspiciously. "Hey, I remember you! You're Doug's majordomo!" he cried as Jack shuddered under his harsh glare and swallowed hard. "Yes, yes I am, but we really must be going…" Jack began to speak but Buckley cut him off.

"Oh, no, no, no; we really would like for you to stay for dinner; we're having whatever's on the menu," Buckley insisted as the hyenas began to circle around them and Lee gasped as Buckley grinned at him seductively while caressing her face softly with his right paw.

"Awww, look at this sweet thing," he cooed. "She is so beautiful," Rodney chuckled demurely as Jackson smirked at her evilly. "Too bad we can't have our way with her because we gotta eat her instead," he quipped as Lee curled up into a ball and whimpered fearfully.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Rod snarled as he got into Rodney's face. "Oh, this must be the prince to the Pridelands; you are so scrawny and weak. You will never amount to be king," Rodney mocked and teased the young golden yellow cub as the others joined in their laughter.

"Stop that!" Rod growled as Jack pulled him close to him to have a little talk. "Rod, I don't think we should provoke them any further; they can be very dangerous, you know," he whispered through their side mouth as the hyenas continued to circle around them while proceeding to make sexually suggestive comments towards Lee.

"Jack, didn't you say once that they are just a bunch of dodo brains?" Rod retorted to Jack as he waved his wings down frantically so they wouldn't hear.

"What did you say, punk?" Buckley snarled at Jack angrily as he gulped and was about to step away from the vicious trio. "I didn't say anything…" Jack interjected but then he was snatched by Rodney and they rushed over to a geyser as they were putting him inside it with the black hornbill quivering in fear.

"Let's put him in the birdie boiler!" Buckley cheered as Jack began to scream hysterically. "No, not the birdie boiler…!" he wailed as he was then hurtled out of the geyser and he was sent flying out of the elephant graveyard at 500 mph back into the Pridelands.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Rod hissed at the hyenas as Rodney smirked at him evilly through the geyser steams. "Like… you?" he suggested wickedly as Rod's ears flattened in horror. "Oops."

It was then the cubs let out a chorus of horrific screams as the hyenas gave chase and they raced over to one of the enormous skeletons as they climbed up its long yet thick spine, with Rodney snapping his jaws at Lee just as she barely made it past him. The cubs then jumped down the sloping rows of bones as they were screaming at the top of their lungs and upon flying out of the tusks and landing onto a pile of bones, they scrambled for cover.

It was then that the hyenas charged right for them as Rod was climbing towards a large skull when he suddenly heard Lee scream. "Rod, help!" she wailed as he spun around to see Lee slipping away towards the hyenas' grasp and not even her claws were helping her maintain her grip.

Rod then charged right for the hyenas as Rodney was drooling greedily just as he was about to dive for Lee; Rod then suddenly struck him across the face with his claws and he developed a huge scratch mark that blinded his vision and enraged him.

The cubs then bolted into a dark area as they were scrambling for another elephant skeleton and upon jumping onto it were trying to get to safety when the back finally gave way, sending them straight into the skeleton and trapping them inside. The cubs gasped as they realized they were trapped with no way out.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," Rodney growled menacingly as he and his cronies advanced towards them threateningly. Rod then took in a deep breath and tried to roar but to no avail since it came out as a harsh, raspy mew.

The hyenas then laughed and cackled at him as they were amazed at how weak his roar was. "Oh my God, that was so rich! That little punk can't even come up with a great roar!" Buckley cackled as he and his brothers kept on laughing with Rodney constantly taunting him. "Do it again."

Rod then took in a deep breath and was about to roar again when suddenly a huge roar erupted out of nowhere, making him shocked and in disbelief; this made the hyenas confused and puzzled too.

However, they had no time to reflect on where the source of the sound came from when Doug suddenly burst into the scene and let out a series of thundering, loud roars as he started to swat and strike at them with the hyenas flying all over the place; as Buckley tried to lunge at him with his claws and teeth, Doug then backhanded him with another strike as he was sent flying to the floor, with Jackson being shaken violently like a rag doll upon being caught in his jaws.

The cubs were shocked and amazed as they watched the fight proceed for about 10 minutes with the hyenas being mercilessly mauled and beaten savagely as they finally gave up fighting and were now pinned down to the ground with Doug hovering over them with a fierce snarl on his lips.

"What the hell are you assholes doing here?" the elderly lion growled as the hyenas cowered in his commanding presence and Rodney chuckled nervously. "Oh, is this your son? This is your son? I didn't know this was your son! Did you, Buckley?" he squeaked fearfully as he turned to Buckley. "No, no, I didn't; did you, Jackson?" he replied as the two turned to Jackson, who nodded dumbly as Doug let out a threatening roar, which sent them scattering immediately.

Jack then flew down in front of the king and nodded to him approvingly, only to receive a warning growl at him. Rod and Lee then approached Doug as Rod lowered his head down in shame. "Dad, I'm sorry," he whispered as Doug promptly ignored him and just kept on walking. "Let's go home," he growled as they walked out of the elephant graveyard with Lee whispering to Rod, "You were really brave."

However, from out of the shadows was a pair of glowing, red, malevolent eyes that had witnessed what just transpired and was not very pleased.


	6. Small Talk

Chapter 6 – Small Talk

It was around sunset when Doug was busy escorting the naughty and mischievous cubs home and Jack was slowly yet gently gliding above the lions as the young ones were reluctantly trudging onward with downtrodden and disenchanted faces, fearful of what was to come. Lee then gazed over at Rod as they looked into each other's eyes and they could see the fear and uncertainty lingering in their hearts as they continued on their evening stroll.

Doug then stopped at a spot and sat down as he was gazing out into the dusky night with a blank yet stoic expression on his face. "Jack, take Lee home. I would like a word with my son," he ordered him sternly as Jack nodded earnestly. "Yes, sir," was all he said as he then turned to Rod and placed his wings on his shoulders with a sigh. "Good luck," he muttered to him as he took into the skies and accompanied Lee home as the young lioness cub glanced back at her friend sadly.

"Rod!" Doug shouted in a thundering voice as Rod winced at the sound of his father's harsh voice and he reluctantly turned around to go to him. As he was walking towards his father, he stepped onto a large paw print mark on the ground and he glanced down to see how small his paw was in comparison to his father's; he then took in a deep breath as he trudged over to his father as he sat down on his haunches and glanced around nervously in anticipation of what he would say.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Rod," Doug whispered sharply at Rod as he lowered his head down further in pure shame. "I know," he mumble. "You deliberately disobeyed me! You could have been seriously killed and I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you or to Lee! You are my only son and you are very precious to me," Doug roared at Rod infuriatingly as his voice rose to a higher inflection as Rod bowed his head while trying to avoid tears from falling from his eyes as he stuttered in a cracking voice, "B-B-But I was t-trying to b-be b-brave like y-you Dad; I didn't want to grow up to be a coward when I'm king."

"Being brave does not mean that you have to recklessly get yourself into danger; you have to be smart to know what you're doing but being brave also means you have to endure something even though you are afraid. Being king is not all fun and games you know; it takes a lot of responsibility and a lot of hard work and you have to be competent to know what you're doing."

"Really, Dad?" Rod perked his head up as Doug turned to face him and smiled at him with a nod. "Yes, really, Rod," was his answer. Rod then peered at his father quizzically while narrowing his eyes at him. "Hey, Dad; can I ask you something?" he inquired him curiously. "Yes, son; ask me anything," said Doug with a firm nod.

"Were you scared out there when you were fighting the hyenas in the graveyard?" Rod queried him inquisitively as Doug sighed while brushing his paw through his mane before speaking. "You see, son; the truth was that I was afraid of losing you; I was afraid that the hyenas were going to eat you alive and I would never see you again. You mean so much to your mother and I since we have been trying so hard to have a cub of our own for many years and it has been extremely difficult for your mother due to her multiple miscarriages," was his grim and somber answer as he lowered his head down sadly at the horrific memories.

"Miscarriages? What are those, Dad?" Rod persisted with his questioning as Doug exhaled loudly through his nostrils before gathering up the courage to speak. "A miscarriage is when a woman loses her baby when it is in her womb, usually around the 7th week, sometimes even later, as in two months; this kind of event can be potentially emotionally and psychologically traumatizing on a woman since she tends to form a very strong and close bond with the fetus from the moment it is first conceived," he replied to Rod as he nodded understandingly.

"Do you wish you've had more kids so Lee and I could play with them?" Rod piped in curiously towards his father as he inhaled deeply. "Well, yes; your mother and I have thought about it sometimes, but we both feel it is highly unlikely since we are both getting old and we may not be around much longer due to our old age; besides, Julie is supposed to have stopped bearing cubs by now and you are more than enough for us anyway," he answered his son as he turned to him with a gentle and soft smile on his face.

Rod laughed and grinned deviously as he leaned over to his father. "Hey, you know what, Dad?" he whispered softly to him as Doug nodded. "I think those stupid mangy hyenas did not know what hit them when you first showed up," Rod snickered as Doug burst out laughing at his son's comment. "Come here you," he chuckled as he pulled his son into a hug and started rubbing his head playfully as Rod laughed hysterically while trying to squirm out of his arms.

It was then that he leaped at his father as they rolled over each other and Doug started laughing as he raced off into the grass with his son tagging after him; for a few minutes, they dashed around the area as Rod galloped after his father while trying to keep up with him with the two of them laughing gaily and joyously.

Finally Rod tackled his father as he tugged on his ear and Doug fell down on his back as he rolled up on his chest and he chuckled at the sight of Rod nestled in his thick, enormous, silky white mane.

"We'll always be together, right Dad?" Rod smiled as Doug laughed and he glanced up at the sky with his son following suit as he was about to tell him something important. "Rod, listen carefully, for this is something my father-in-law Tom Horton once told me: when you look up at the stars, there are ancestors looking down at us from the heavens; the Great Kings are the ones that watch over us from above, so whenever you feel alone, you can look up at them and they will be watching over you, and so will I."

"So, you will always be with me, Dad?" Rod asked Doug as he nodded. "Even if I'm not around to protect you, I will always live in your heart and just as long as you remember the things I've taught you and as long as you remember the good times we've had together, you will never be alone and I'll always be with you."

Rod then smiled as he snuggled in his father's fur and they spent the rest of the night in each other's company; what they did not know was that their time together was to be short-lived because there would come a tragedy that no one would see coming and it was going to change the entire course of Rod's life forever.


	7. Stefano's Master Plan

Chapter 7 – Stefano's Master Plan

Meanwhile, in the Shadowlands, Rodney, Buckley and Jackson were in a sour and bitter mood and they were fighting over whose fault was it that their mission to get rid of Rod and Lee had utterly failed.

"It was your fault, asshole!" Rodney snarled at Buckley as they were sitting down while tending to their wounds received by Doug.

Rodney had a serious slash mark over the right side of his face from Rod and he also received several scratches and gash marks all over his body as well as a bruise and a black eye; Buckley was even more battered and beaten than his older brother with two torn ears, scars over his face, a bleeding, gashed shoulder and some other gashes on his back and sides and he also had a black right eye with a broken right hind foot; Jackson was just giggling madly as he was bleeding all over the place with severe gashes, slashes and bruises with a broken front right paw.

"What? What do ya mean it was my fault! You should have tried to grab that little bitch and just killed her!" Buckley snarled as he was busy trying to nurse his wounds.

"Right, and where is that gonna get us? You know that her momma is only gonna come and kill us all if we did anything to her, let alone have our way with her," Rodney scoffed. "Really? You were such a big flirt out there with her. You really wanted to screw her?" Buckley scoffed at Rodney tauntingly.

"Me? What makes you think I want to do that?" Rodney snorted disdainfully as Buckley smirked. "Come on," he urged him as he elbowed him playfully. "I know you wanted to sleep with her. I know you wanted to make love to her…" he giggled teasingly as Rodney snarled. "Cut it out! So what if I wanted to screw her? That would be payback for her bitch mother killing our father!" he snapped as Buckley growled at Rodney.

"Don't even mention our father! You know I hate that! I swear when I get my hands on that little brat, I'll drag her into a place where no one can find her and I'll mate with her myself!" he snarled angrily at Rodney.

"You know you two sound very perverted," Jackson retorted as he chuckled insanely. Buckley then whipped his head around to glare at her angrily. "What did you say, punk ass?" he growled as Jackson chuckled while backing down nervously with his ears flattened. "I didn't say nothing…" "Come here, you little motherfucker…" Buckley hissed as he dove for Jackson and they began to fight immensely while wrestling and grappling over each other as they were snapping and yapping at each other.

Rodney noticed that they were fighting and glared at them. "Hey, hey, hey! Cut it out! We shouldn't be fighting!" he growled at them as Buckley rolled off him and Jackson was chewing on his right foot. "Hey! He started it!" Buckley insisted as he pointed at Jackson.

"Hello there, you simpleton fools," Stefano growled as he was lying there perched on a platform with the geysers shooting up in front of him as they illuminated his grim and somber expression.

The hyenas then took a few steps back as they shuddered in amazement and even Buckley had his jaw hanging open. "Oh, Mr. Stefano! We didn't hear you come in!" he stammered nervously as Stefano narrowed his eyes at him with a snort. "Really? Well I must have heard that you bumbling idiots fouled up my plans again," he retorted snidely as the hyenas descended into yet another fit of arguing again.

"I told you we should have killed that fucking bitch!" Buckley snarled at Rodney as they began barking and yapping amongst one another. "Me? I say we should have killed that little yellow runt and be done with it!" Rodney shot back as Jackson was yipping and howling along with him.

Stefano then shook his head disgustedly as he took out three green chunks of zebra meat as he dropped them in front of his minions. "Well, I suppose you don't really deserve this, but just for the sake of arguing…" The hyenas stopped fighting upon detecting the scent of the food and immediately dove for it as they began to ravenously and aggressively tear and bite at the meal while chewing it up with their mouth full and swallowing it up.

"You know, you ain't such a bad guy, Stefano; you feed us, you take care of us," Buckley squeaked with a muffled voice as he swallowed his meat and began chomping on his piece again. "Yeah, you are so elegant, charming, graceful, authoritative and domineering… You have the makings of being a king!" Rodney suggested to Stefano as he continued eating too. "Charmed," Stefano scoffed disdainfully as Jackson perked up with his mouth full and giggled. "So how are we going to get rid of the brats now?" Rodney retorted as he continued eating. "Yeah, what are we supposed to do? Kill Doug?" Buckley added as Stefano's eyes flashed with an invigorated and brilliant gleam as a cunning and wicked smirk formed on his lips. "Precisely," he hissed as the hyenas stopped their eating and looked up at him in confusion.

The music then starts as Stefano starts jumping down from the rocks in quick and high bounds as he walking up the aisle and with each step he takes a stream of geyser erupts from the ground in tandem. He then glances at the hyenas and begins to speak while approaching them.

_I know that your powers of pretension are as wet as a warthog's backside._

_But as thick as you are, pay attention!_

He then goes up to Buckley and slaps a piece of bone away from him before sulking away from him in a pompous and sanctimonious manner.

He then heads off in the north direction as the geysers cast some shadows into his malevolent eyes, giving a spooky effect.

_My words are a matter of pride._

The hyenas looked confused and puzzled as they glance back at Stefano while he glares at them disdainfully.

_It's clear from your vacant expressions._

_The lights are not all on upstairs._

Stefano then scales up to the highest rock available in high bounds as he sits down while facing west away from his minions.

_But we are talking kings and successions!_

He then raises up his paws while grinning deviously with his eyes glowing maliciously with a gleeful expression as he turns to see Buckley and Rodney climbing onto one of the geyser vents with narrowed eyes.

_Even you cannot be caught unawares._

The hyenas then glance around nervously before they are catapulted into the air with a couple of yelps.

_So prepare for a chance of a lifetime._

Stefano then walks away just as the hyenas land onto their heads with a hard thud and he starts to strut around flamboyantly as Jackson starts to trail after him like a dopey idiot. He then leaps at a low platform while sliding down on its surface as he tumbles down before gazing up with a sinister yet coy grin.

_Be prepared for some sensational news!_

_A shiny new era is tiptoeing nearer…_

He then starts tiptoeing slowly as Rodney approaches him while saying, "And where do we feature?" "Just listen to teacher," Stefano purred softly as he pinches his right cheek hard and he runs off with Rodney glaring at him sorely.

_I know it's so sordid, but you'll be rewarded._

_When at last I've been given my dues._

Stefano then rises up authoritatively while placing his paw on his chest and then he jumps up to yet another raised platform as more geysers exploded right behind him.

_And injustice deliciously squared!_

_Be prepared!_

"Hey, yeah we're gonna prepare… for what?" Rodney chuckled in a silly manner as he, Buckley and Jackson emerged out of the web of bones with saber tooth and elephant skulls on their heads and they peered up at Stefano.

"For the death of the king!" Stefano thundered in a loud, booming voice as Buckley narrowed his eyes at him blankly. "What, this is it?" he piped in curiously. "No, fool, we're going to kill him and Rod too," Stefano grinned while chuckling evilly.

"Great idea! Who needs a king?" Rodney shrieked as the hyenas held hands and began to dance around joyfully as if they were playing ring around the rosie while chanting, "No king! No king! No king! La-la-la-la!"

"Idiots! There will be a king!" Stefano roared in an infuriated voice as the force of his rage sent the hyenas down flying as they rolled into little balls and lay prostrate on their backs. "But I thought you said uh…" Buckley stammered.

"STICK WITH ME, AND YOU'LL NEVER GO HUNGRY AGAIN!" Stefano yelled at the top of his lungs as his shadow was illuminated by pale yellowish light and he was standing on a tall rock. The hyenas then started to cheer enthusiastically as they started to jump around wildly and then a huge swarm of hyenas spilled out into the Shadowlands as they were coming out in all directions like demons escaping from hell as they began marching like Fascists traveling through war-torn Italy. The newly formed army began to storm through the area in an emotionless robotic manner as they turned towards him with salutes.

_It's great that we'll soon be connected_

_With a King who'll be all time adored._

_Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected, to take certain duties onboard._

_The future is littered with prizes..._

_And though I'm the main addressee_

_The point I must emphasize is…_

Stefano then leaps off the rock and then starts chasing off the hyenas with a mad, wild look in his eyes as they scattered for cover quickly with lava exploding all over the place with constant earthquakes.

YOU WON'T GET A SNIFF WITHOUT ME!

Stefano then jumps onto another rock as he began to ascend higher into the sky with hellish red flames spouting out of the ground with lava starting to engulf the entire area with hyenas howling and cheering enthusiastically and Buckley and Jackson dancing around as if it were the Macarena.

_So prepare for the coup of the century_

_Be prepared for the murkiest scam_

_Meticulous planning!_

_Tenacity spanning!_

_Decades of denial!_

_Is simply while I'll_

_Be king undisputed, respected, saluted and seen for the worth that I am!_

_Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared!_

Stefano's naturally dark and black mane was whipping up in his face with the smoke blowing in his eyes as more and more fireworks were exploding all over the place with a huge spurt of flames appearing in the background.

_Be prepared!_

Rory then starts to wave around on some bones while banging on an assortment of skulls while tapping on his foot as if he were playing Rock Band. Jackson, Rodney and Buckley appeared in the background with their teeth gleaming and eager, sinister expressions on their faces.

_Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared!_

_Be prepared!_

Stefano then starts to laugh evilly as he was standing over all of the hyenas on the tallest rock as his deep, booming laugh became mingled with the high-pitched, shrieking cackles of the hyenas as they began to join in their mutual laughter. With Stefano's plan set in motion, now all he had to do was wait.


	8. The Stampede

Chapter 8 – The Stampede

The next morning, Stefano took Rod out into the gorge on the pretense of a special surprise for his young nephew; Rod was excited to get the surprise and eagerly went along with his uncle to their destination . "So where is it? Where's the surprise?" Rod chirped gaily as he was scampering along with his uncle as he nudged him up to a rock.

"Now you wait here; your father has a marvelous surprise for you," Stefano instructed the young lion cub as he sat down on the rock. "Really? But where is it?" Rod insisted as he was about to jump off the rock and Stefano stopped him by blocking him with his paw as he set him down again.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! You must stay here until I get the surprise for you; it's a father and son… thing," the elderly black lion reproached him firmly as he pushed Rod back onto the boulder while gesturing with his hands offhandedly, with Rod glancing down sullenly.

"Why can't you tell me what the surprise is?" he pouted as Stefano chuckled wryly at his nephew. "Well, Rod, if I were to tell you what the surprise was, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, now would it?" he smirked demurely at him as he swiveled around to walk away from the rock. "I'll go get him," he said as Rod suddenly jumped off the rock and scampered off to go after his uncle. "I'll come with you," he chimed in as Stefano backed him into a corner and ushered her back onto the rock with a furious snarl.

"NO! I said no!" he roared as Rod cowered in terror with his ears folded backward and his body shaking slightly and his face fell somewhat at the thought of having terrified his young nephew as he then cleared his throat and took on a more calm expression.

"Now, you must stay here on this rock, by this tall, bare tree. You don't want to get into trouble again like you did at the elephant graveyard, now do we?" he hushed softly to him as Rod nodded reluctantly. "No," he sighed and then Stefano chuckled while saying, "That's a good lad." He then pulled him into a hug while cradling his head against his while adding, "And just between us, you might want to keep on practicing that roar of yours, will you?"

"Okay," Rod whispered as Stefano started to walk away from him and then his head perked up as he shouted, "Hey, Uncle Stefano, will I like the surprise?" Stefano then peered over his shoulder as he answered with a wide grin, "Rodrigo my boy, it is to DIE for." And with that, he left Rod right there in the gorge.

Meanwhile, in the fields where the wildebeest were grazing, Jackson, Buckley and Rodney were concealed in the tall grass while waiting for an opportunity to strike. "Can I eat one of those wildebeest? I'm so… hungry!" Buckley whined as Rodney growled at him. "No, Buckley! We have to wait until the master gives his orders and says we can go," he snapped at his younger brother. "Awww, man! Not even the sick ones or the little ones?" Buckley groaned. "I said no!" Rodney screamed at the darker-colored hyena as he winced and then a low whistle was heard.

The hyenas then perked up to see Stefano make a waving gesture from the grasslands as Rodney nodded to his brothers. "It's show time," he whispered as the trio charged right at the herd with a loud snarl.

"Bah! This is stupid," Rod grumbled to himself as he saw an iguana crawling up near him and he jumped in front of it to try and intimidate it. He then attempted a roar, which came out growly and raspy, not like a real grownup roar, and the iguana then walked on ahead, not fazed by the young prince.

Rod then jumped in front of him again as he roared again, which still produced no reaction and dissatisfied him even more. Frustrated and enraged, the young cub then pounced behind the iguana as it kept on walking by and he then took in a deep breath while letting out an even harsher, raspier roar which was so loud that it echoed across the gorge and caused the lizard to scramble away.

Rod then beamed at himself proudly for his effort and then started in surprise as he felt tiny vibrations trembling at his feet and he glanced up to see an enormous herd of wildebeest advancing towards him rapidly yet swiftly as if they were an avalanche cascading down the mountain and spilling out into the open snow in slow motion while swallowing and engulfing everything in sight.

It was then that Rod's body froze as his ears flattened in shock and bewilderment and his eyes flew open wide as he soon dashed away from the massive stampede with the wildebeest gaining on him like a rushing flood.

Rod was now galloping and racing across the gorge as fast as he possibly could as one of the antelope was lurching right at him and it kicked him from behind, sending him tumbling into a cloud of dirt as he was trampled and stomped down repeatedly by a furious flurry of feet beating on him.

Rod then got up to his feet and weaved through the maze of legs as he came across a barren tree and lunged right for it as he scaled up the branch and clung to it for dear life.

Meanwhile, Stefano climbed up the cliff as he met up with Doug and Jack while panting hard for breath. "Doug! Doug! There's trouble at the gorge! Rod's down there!" he alerted them urgently as Doug's heart stopped and his body numbed with fearful dread. "Rod…" he whispered.

Stefano and Doug soon descended down the cliff with Jack swooping down to where Rod was; upon spotting him dangling down from the branch, he was terrified at what he saw and immediately flew in to help. "Jack, help me!" Rod pleaded as he was clawing frantically at the bark of the tree with his front claws.

"Hold on, Rod! They're coming!" Jack assured him calmly as he flew in for help. "Hurry!" Rod wailed as one of the wildebeest charged right at the tree he was hanging on to and slammed right into the trunk, causing the branch to pull down slightly and for Rod to cry out in pain as it buckled under his weight.

"Don't worry, son! I'm coming!" Doug yelled as he raced through the stampede to save him.

It was then that Jack was fluttering around in a terrible panic and he was stricken with terror. "Oh Miguelito! This is a most terrible disaster! This is awful, the eptimony of calamity! We are so fucked, we are so fuck…" he blubbered senselessly as Stefano sneered at the black hornbill before he swung his paw at him and struck him across the face, sending him flying to the wall and causing him to fall on the ground, unconscious.

Doug was still running through the stampede while he was trying desperately to reach his son; suddenly, a wildebeest slammed right into him, knocking him to the ground. The elderly royal blue lion then lifted his head up weakly and in stunned surprise to see another wildebeest ram right into the branch and launch poor Rod into the air as the branch disintegrated into pieces and he was screaming in terror.

Doug then dashed right for his son as he leaped into the air and caught his son in his mouth just in time as he headed for the promontory for safety. But then another yet one of the wildebeest knocked into Doug as he dropped Rod by accident and Rod rolled onto the floor with a grunt as he found himself stranded in the huge mess of beasts.

He felt scared and terrified and was bewildered in the chaotic pandemonium of wails, grunts, and cries of the stampede when Doug suddenly came rushing in and snatched his son up as he got him away from the stampede, with one of them tripping and sliding onto his left side. In the meantime, Stefano was slinking around the edge of the cliff as he was watching both father and son fight for their lives with a cold and solemn expression on his face as his eyes were glowing as fiercely as ever.

Doug then came to the cliff and placed Rod carefully and gently on a small spot as he was suddenly tackled by another wave of wildebeest and immediately tumbled down to the ground. "DAD!" Rod screamed as his eyes scanned fervently as the wildebeest continued to have the run of the gorge and he spent several minutes in search of his father, who was nowhere to be found.

The constant, rapid blur of dark brown fur was flying in his range of vision as Rod peered down in a stoop with his body frozen rigid with fear and his heart pounding rapidly with his blood rushing through his veins and sweat trickling down his fur.

Finally, he heard a sudden roar rip through the air as Doug leaped into the air with a snarl and he landed on a cliff side as he immediately started climbing with his claws, to his son's relief; even though Doug was battered and exhausted from fighting off the immense swarm of wildebeest, his spirit still raged on and he was determined to keep on fighting, just to keep his son safe.

Rod watched with anticipation yet anxiety as Doug pulled himself up painfully yet slowly as his skin burned and stung fiercely and his wounds were hurting enormously with him crying and yelping out in pain. Finally assured that his dad would be all right, Rod then desperately scrambled up the pile of rocks as he scaled up his way for safety.

It was then that Doug met up with Stefano as he dug his claws into the hard rock and Stefano was hovering over him, having watched the entire procession play out before his entire eyes.

Doug then lifted up his head to see Stefano peer down at him from above and he was clutching tightly to the jagged edges in an attempt to hang on. "Brother, brother! Brother, help me for the love of God, I beg you!" he pleaded earnestly as his claws were slipping and he clawed frantically on the surface with pebbles bouncing off into the ground below.

Stefano then looked at him for a moment and then in a blink of an eye lunged at Doug as he thrust his claws into his paws, causing him to roar in agony.

He then gasped heavily as Stefano leaned closer to his face with a grim smile and whispered softly to him, "Long live the king!" He secretly reveled at the sight of seeing Doug's face dissolve into an expression of disbelief, shock and dismay as he pushed him off and Doug was sent plummeting into the gorge down below with his screams piercing the air. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Rod screamed in horror as he saw his father take a deadly plunge towards the wildebeest stampede and disappear into the thick dust below and in a few moments, it was all over.


	9. Tragic Aftermath

Chapter 9 – Tragic Aftermath

It was then that Rod stepped down from the cliff shortly after the flood of wildebeest cleared up and he was walking around in the still, dead silence as he heard vultures shriek with their high-pitched, shrill cries; he was still shocked and stunned at what just happened at the gorge and he was stuck in a daze when suddenly a lone wildebeest flashed by him and galloped away into the horizon, right where Doug's body lay.

Rod gasped softly as he bolted towards his father and slowly approached him with an apprehensive and crestfallen face as he saw him up close for the first time, without any sign of movement, without any sign of life. He then looked at him for a few moments as he studied him closely and his fur shook terribly as he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

The air felt cold and dry as Rod took in a shaky breath and whispered, "Dad? Dad?" He then inched closer to him as he nudged up his face as it dropped abruptly on its side. "Come on, Dad! You got to wake up please!" he pleaded as he shook him awake and slapped his face while licking him urgently.

"Come on, Dad! We have to go home! Don't leave me here!" he wailed as he tugged on his ear and he glanced around for anyone there as he was suddenly filled with panic and terror; in a matter of moments, Rod dashed across the gorge as he let out a loud, blood-curling scream that echoed in the air as he started screaming at the top of her lungs.

"HEEEEEEEEEEELP! HEEEEEEEEEEELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! HEEEELP ME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" he yelled at the top of his lungs as his frantic and mortified cries rang out through the savanna and he then broke down into hysterical sobs with tears streaming down his face as he finally rushed to his father's side in defeat; he then scurried over to Doug's lifeless corpse as he snuggled underneath his arm while he lay down beside him and then sighed deeply with shaky sobs before resting his head to go to sleep.

Rod then took in deep breaths as more tears ran down his face and he was lying beside his father in his private and silent mourning; it wasn't long before Stefano emerged from the shadows and peered down at both father and son as he found his distressed and grief-stricken nephew snuggling close to the dead body.

"What have you done?" he whispered harshly as Rod whipped his head to face his uncle and his body shuddered in convulsions as he barely managed to suppress a single sob and buried his face in his dad's arms as he was rocked by yet another fit of grief. "I-it was an accident! I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to hurt him! I was just trying to practice my roar! I didn't want to hurt my dad! I didn't mean to kill him!"

"There, there, there now, dear child; your father's suffering is now over; he is at peace with the Great Kings as he should be. He was not long in this world anyway," he sympathized with the young cub in a rather callous and insincere manner as Rod broke away from Doug and turned to him with a stricken face.

"I didn't mean for him to get hurt badly; I didn't want him to die; I was just practicing my roar and then the earth started shaking and…" he stammered rapidly as he started breathing in rather too quickly and Stefano nodded while shushing him and pulling the boy into his arms while caressing his back soothingly with Rod sobbing quietly in his arms.

"There, there, now Rod; it's going to be all right. We can fix this, believe me; I know you never meant to kill your father but you did. The King is dead and has no ruler to take his place. Oh, what will your poor mother think if she were to find out about what you've done? What will your friend Lee say if she were to find out that her best friend was a murderer?" Stefano murmured gently to Rod as he continued crying and his ears pricked up at his words as he glanced up at him. "What should I do?" he whispered to his uncle.

"Run away and never return," was all Stefano said without so much as batting an eyelash and then Rod immediately broke away from Stefano was dashing farther into the gorge as he never looked back from his father. It was then that Rodney, Jackson and Buckley emerged from the shadows as Stefano stood there placidly yet stoically while ready to give out his order. "Kill that fucking bastard," he hissed in an ominous voice as the hyenas lunged straight for Rod.

Rod then found himself standing in front of a tall pile of rocks that led him out of the gorge as he spun around to see Rodney, Buckley and Jackson drawing near him with menacing, low growls.

Rod then scampered away from the hyenas as he hastily scrambled up the pile of rocks with his claws as the hyenas were lunging at him with raspy snarls with Rodney landing one paw right at the right side of his back, producing a long slash mark. Rod then yelled out in pain as he leaped over the pile while barely avoiding even more swipes as he raced over to the edge; he then dove into a thicket of thorns as he weaved and slithered through the prickly branches as they scratched and scarred his skin several times, including across his face and backside.

He then raced out of the thicket as he suddenly skidded over on the promontory and he glanced over to see the hyenas charging straight at him.

Rod then took in a deep breath as he jumped off the cliff and tumbled down the steep, precarious slope as he took a terrifying and death-defying plunge towards the ground and he landed hard on his right shoulder, bruising it and breaking his front right leg; he then kept on running even as his foot was surging in unbearable pain and it was dangling loosely with every shaky and unsteady footstep he took.

The hyenas then saw the thicket of thorns coming straight at them as they suddenly came to a stop while slamming right into each other; Buckley then dove right into the thorns and jumped into midair as he was cursing out obscenities with thorns protruding all over his body. "GODDAMN IT!" he shrieked as Rodney and Jackson started laughing and cackling immediately at his unfortunate luck as Buckley staggered up to the edge while wincing and whimpering in pain and his two brothers pulled him up onto the surface as he proceeded to pick the thorns out of his butt and backside.

"Man…! That little piss ass! I cannot believe he just led us into those fucking thorns!" Buckley grumbled angrily as he kept on pulling the thorns out of his fur.

"Well, at least that prince is gone; with him and Doug out of the way, Stefano would be able to take over the kingdom and do things his way," Rodney scoffed as Jackson observed Buckley taking the thorns out painstakingly with odd fascination. "Fascinating," he muttered as Buckley scowled and then threw his head back to glare at Rod's retreating form and then took a deep breath to send a clear message to the young cub. "And if you ever come back, we'll kill you!"

It was then that same afternoon, word had spread about King Doug's death and Rod's subsequent disappearance and the pride was immersed in deep mourning and grief. Julie herself was devastated and heartbroken to learn of her mate's tragic death and had mostly confined herself to her cave to sort her feelings out. As for Marlena, she was shocked and in disbelief at the horrific incident at the gorge and was troubled by the prospect of having to break the sad and disturbing news to her young daughter Lee.

The elderly woman then slunk into the cave looking rather silent and thoughtful as she saw Lee prancing around the cave while chasing her tail and rolling around in giggles and sighed deeply while shaking her head sadly. No child should ever have to go through this, she thought to herself as she lifted her head up and approached her daughter.

"Lee; we need to talk," she informed her as Lee perked up at the sound of her mother's voice and raced over to hug her legs lovingly with a purr. "What is it, Mama?" she asked her as Marlena sat down rather abruptly and pulled the vivacious and spirited young lioness cub into her arms while holding her gently.

"Lee, I-I don't know how to tell you this, but there is something you should know. King Doug just died today; one of the lionesses found his body at the gorge and Stefano arranged for some of the lionesses to bring it back home so he can have a proper burial. It was a terrible accident; he was trying to save Rod and he was run over by the wildebeest stampede," she informed her as Lee gawked in astonishment and amazement while shaking her head slightly.

"What happened to Rod?" she stammered fearfully as Marlena hung her head sorrowfully. "He's gone, Lee; they couldn't find his body anywhere. He must have disappeared during the stampede; I'm sorry," she muttered sadly as Lee shuddered in horror and consternation as she shook her head wildly since she was not willing to believe what she had just heard.

"No… No… You can't be serious! You're lying to me! Rod can't be dead!" she growled at her mother angrily as Marlena stood back with concern written on her face. "Lee, I am telling you the truth; I would never lie to you if it wasn't true," she insisted patiently with yet another sigh and Lee's face darkened into a scowl with her fur bristling as tears rained down her face.

"No… You're wrong. I cannot accept the fact that he's dead… I know he's out there somewhere…" she sneered at her mother as Marlena growled deep in her throat. "Lee…" she admonished her sternly. "You're lying! Rod will never leave me out here, all alone! He would never leave me out here with those fucking mangy hyenas! He would never…!" She then tore out of the cave as she hastily galloped down the steps of Pride Rock and quickly took off from the Pridelands and towards the Outlands.

Marlena then raced out of the cave and headed off to Pride Rock as she watched her daughter disappear off into the horizon and was stricken with panic at the possibility of her being in terrible danger. "Come back here, Lee! Goddamn it!" she shouted at the top of her lungs as Caroline, who was a saffron honey golden lioness with sapphire blue eyes, walked up to her anxiously.

"What's wrong, Marlena?" she asked her as Marlena shook her head and glared at her. "Go after Lee and make sure she comes back here for the funeral; I don't want her to be in any further trouble," was her answer as Caroline nodded in comply. "Yes, ma'am," she said as she took off from Pride Rock and headed off to fetch Lee.

Meanwhile, the young mahogany lioness cub was dashing and speeding through the grass as she could heard the distinct growls and snarls of the hyena pack wandering around the borders of the Pridelands as she was edging closer to the borders of the Outlands. She was just about 30 miles away until she reached the notoriously barren and perilous wastelands when suddenly she skidded to a halt upon being surrounded by Rodney and the hyenas.

Lee then whimpered with her tail tucked in-between her legs as the pack was advancing closer to her and then Rodney snatched her tail as he pulled her closer to her and she screamed as the adult hyena hugged her in her arms and unsheathed his claws as he held them near her throat. "Why don't y'all come and get some if you want her?" he hollered to his comrades as they cackled shrilly and madly while dancing around them in celebration.

"Now, princess, we'll make this easy, by having you let us do whatever we want with you or if you fight, we'll kill you," Rodney hissed softly in Lee's ear as she squirmed and thrashed to break out of his arms and he sunk his teeth into the pelt of her neck while wrapping his legs around hers. "Get her," he snarled as the hyenas cackled and were approaching her slowly in order to sodomize and perhaps sexually assault her.

But then Caroline burst into the scene with a explosive roar as she swung her paws at several of the hyenas as they all darted right for her while lunging at her to attack; she then backhanded one of the hyenas in the face while she struck and swatted several more of them while grabbing another one by the skull and tossing it hard into the sky, snapping his neck cleanly.

Lee then struck Rodney hard across the face before breaking for cover and fleeing for the safety of the Pridelands. "Run, Lee! Go back to your mother! I'll catch up!" Caroline bellowed at the young cub as several of the hyenas leaped right at her in great numbers and she was quickly becoming overwhelmed as she slashed and clawed at them as many of them tumbled to the ground dead.

"Mommy!" Lee wailed as she rushed back up to Pride Rock and jumped into Marlena's arms with the elderly lioness hugging her tightly. "Oh, my poor baby! I'm glad you're safe!" she sobbed while burying her face into her fur and weeping softly.

"Where's Mama?" Bo, a white cub with vanilla-silver hair tufts and grey-blue eyes, piped up shrilly as he scampered up to Marlena.

"Everybody attack!" Maggie yelled at the top of her lungs as several of the lionesses surged right into the area near the Outlands and went in for the offensive, with Maggie roaring at the top of her lungs.

It was then that several of the Pridelander lionesses fought viciously and bravely against the hyena packs as many of them were killed and slaughtered in the battle, with some of the women carrying a beaten and wounded Caroline to safety.

Marie even pursued one of the hyenas madly as she tackled him onto the ground and tore at it savagely while disemboweling him and ripping his throat and heart out. As for Marlena, she carried her daughter back into the cave and stayed with her as Lee privately mourned the terrible loss of her dear friend Rod and expressed her outrage and grief with Marlena silently commiserating with her.

After a few hours of bloodshed and violence, nearly all of the hyenas were dead, and Jackson, Buckley and Rodney were forced to retreat due to grievous wounds that would have exacerbated if they were to try and fight any longer. The lions soon trudged onward home and got ready by washing and cleaning their wounds with pure water as well as grooming themselves; it was not long before Stefano organized a memorial service as he stood on the promontory with all of the lionesses grieving and wailing profusely. Marlena then stood with Julie while the old woman sobbed hysterically in her arms, with Lee burying her face in her mother's arms as she cried.

"Doug's death was a terrible tragedy, a tragedy that should have never happened," Stefano declared to the entire congregation as he was dapping his eyes in an attempt to look sorrowful and rueful while lowering his head so no one could see his face within the shadows. "It was a tragedy that should have never happened, a tragedy that affects us all. But poor Prince Rodrigo, who had barely begun to live… his death will be the end of us all, for without a living heir, this kingdom shall perish…"

"But now, we will rise once again with the dawn and glory of a new era, where hyenas and lions will join together in peace and harmony as we will stand before all the world and create a new and ultimate empire!" Stefano proclaimed at the top of his lungs as the hyenas marched out of the darkness with glowing red eyes as their cackles and mad shrieks echoed in the air and everyone gasped in horror with Lee huddling close to her mother in fear.

Jack, who was also standing with Julie to comfort her, squawked as he hid behind the former queen. It would not be long before darkness would spread all over the Pridelands, and Stefano's reign of terror would begin.


	10. Buck & Rolf

Chapter 10 – Buck & Rolf

It was then that Rod was walking through the desert as he was trying desperately to find some shelter that would provide him relief from the unbearable heat; he had been wandering for several days without any food or water and already he was exhausted. He was so tired of walking for so many miles and his heart was numb yet heavy with grief over his father's death and his energy levels were so dangerously low that he felt like he was going to collapse.

Finally just as he was several miles away from the nearest cactus, he finally collapsed on the ground from pure heat exhaustion and malnutrition and decided that it was best for him to just die and get eaten by the vultures.

He lay there for several hours as the sun was blazing over the hot and scorched sands and there were vultures and buzzards circling over the unconscious golden yellow cub as they were about to dive in and devour him. They soon swooped down onto the ground as they congregated around him and even one vulture bit on Rod's side as it was about to get its first bite of him.

Just then a couple of ion blasts zapped by as the vulture disintegrated into oblivion and more of the vultures and buzzards were in engulfed in the ion blasts as several of them began to scatter for cover and fly away from Rod.

"Go on! Shoo! Get away, you cowards!" a light brown donkey-like meerkat yelled as he was waving and brandishing his katanas around like a mad man as a darkish grey warthog named Rolf was charging at the vultures while continuing to fire away with his ion cannon. Finally, after several minutes, the vultures and buzzards finally fled from where Rod lay, and the two companions got their first look at the unconscious young cub.

"Ewww, it looks dead," Rolf grimaced as Buck shuddered in repulsion. "Yuck, it's disgusting; that thing looks like it has not eaten in days," he winced painfully as they stared at the fallen prince and Rolf cocked his head curiously before turning to Buck.

"Hey, Buck, can we keep him?" he pleaded to his friend as Buck balked at his request and shook him violently. "Are you nuts, arse? That thing would eat us if it would even awaken! He's one of those Salemite Pridelanders that pick on common lowlifes like us!" he shrieked at him impassionedly as Rolf frowned in disappointment.

"Awww, but he's so cute and he's so small…" he wheedled but Buck cut him off. "Yeah, he may be small, but he may be more dangerous when he grows up to be big and strong. He'll eat us all!" he shot back at him while pulling on his ears and whimpering in fear.

Rolf then pricked his ears disapprovingly as Buck paced around for a few minutes and that was when he got an idea. "Hey! Wait a minute! What if he is on our side? Then we can train him to eat bugs and other things we like to eat and he wouldn't feel so inclined to eat us!" Buck interjected while offering a suggestion to Rolf, who jumped for joy in excitement. "Yeah! That's a brilliant idea, Buck!" he squealed. "Hey, who's the brains around here, huh?" Buck smirked cockily while tapping at his head, making him cock his head to the side in confusion.

"I thought so," Buck scoffed as Rolf scooped up the lifeless Rod with his wide, enormous snout and cradled him gently as Buck hopped onto his back as they took off for shelter. "Come on, amigo; we better get to a place where we can find shade," he said as they kept on walking.

Finally, they reached some sort of oasis where they settled in front of a small puddle of water as Buck was splashing Rod in the face with it in an attempt to awaken him, but to no avail. Finally, Rod was startled by yet another splash of water and he perked up his head sleepily with his face dripping wet.

"Where am I?" he moaned as he peered at them exhaustively. "You're safe with us; my name is Buck, and this is my friend Rolf," Buck answered with a cheerful chirp as Rolf held out his hoof to shake. "Pleased to meet you," was his reply as Rod stood up to shake his hoof. "My name's Rod," Rod introduced himself in a rather cool and brisk voice.

"Rod, you say?" Buck chuckled good-naturedly while slapping himself silly with Rolf joining in. "That's a strange name for a kid." "Where did you come from, Rod?" Rolf asked him as Rod sighed while shaking his body briskly. "I don't want to talk about it; I did something terrible and I never want to come back," he muttered sadly as he started to walk away.

"Really? Well, have you heard about Hakuna Matata?" Buck mused with intrigue while peering at Rod curiously. "Well, no," Rod stammered as Rolf walked over to his left and sat down. "Well, it means no worries," was his answer.


End file.
